Sunday Lunch at the Coal Office

• Where? Coal Drops Yard, 2 Bagley Walk, London N1C 4PQ
• How much? £££
• Cuisine? Middle Eastern restaurant
• Vegetarian options? Yes
• Vegan options? Yes, limited
• Gluten free options? Yes

This industrial cove is well disguised amidst the setting of Coal Drops Yard. Blending seamlessly into its Victorian surroundings, with its weathered brick frame and charcoal steel beams, Coal Office is deceivingly unassuming.

What waits behind closed doors is something else entirely. Mirrored orbs descending from the ceiling, open kitchen counters immersing you in the action, a pulsating energy throughout. The whole restaurant was heaving with the sound of conversation and laughter as we were shown to our table, weaving through its modern industrial centre.

The Food

The Jerusalem Sunday roast is priced at £30 per person and includes a starter and a main course. Disclaimer: everyone on the table must order the roast in order to be eligible and you really get your money’s worth, so make sure to bring your appetite!

The Starter

1. 8/10 – Kubalah: This is a sweet bread, similar to brioche and is absolutely heavenly. Served steaming, fresh and fluffy, I couldn’t help but tear into this delicious loaf straight away!
2. 9/10 – Tahini & Schug: Whilst Tahini can be polarising, I for one, adore it! This creamy dip had the familiar bitter tang of tahini, paired beautifully with an aromatic kick from the schug. Make sure to save any leftover dip for the potatoes from the main course!
3. 7/10 – Labaneh, Grated Tomato and Sumac: Really lovely, fresh flavour, which paired particularly well with the saltiness of the tomato.
4. 9/10 – Nablus Gate Salad: This salad was absolutely delicious, we even tried to recreate it at home! The crunch of the pomegranate, almonds and pita croutons with the herby greens, blueberries and Labneh was divine. All the flavours worked together in perfect harmony, constructing an utterly refreshing and flavoursome salad.
5. 6/10 – Fennel Salad: This salad was incredibly light and refreshing, but better suited to warmer months. In my honest opinion, there was too much sauce, making the dish quite watery. Overall I wouldn’t say that it’s addition is entirely necessary – there is already a lot of food here for a starter, it could have done without this dish.

The Main

By the time we got to the main course, we were already incredibly full. There is a lot of food included before you even get to this course, so bear that in mind when you sit down to eat – don’t do what we did and completely fill up on bread, dips and salad!

1. 8/10 – Turkish Coffee Braised Brisket: Really flavoursome and tender, the meat melted away in your mouth. This was my favourite component of the main and a really lovely change from a classic Sunday roast!
2. 7/10 – Dunkirk Harissa Carrots: These should come with a spice warning! I really loved the kick from these Harissa coasted carrots. They were really sweet, tasty and perfectly cooked, however, slightly on the oily side for me.
3. 6/10 – New Potato with Smoked Butter: Tasty and classic, a nice side to balance the flavours of the dish and to soak up the excess jus from the brisket and carrots! Again, there was just far too much food overall. The potatoes were piled high and we didn’t even make a dent in them.

This is easily one of the nicest Sunday lunches I’ve had in London and a great alternative if you’re looking to step out of your comfort zone and explore beyond the hearty British roast! It was amazing how the flavours all came together to create such an extraordinary meal without overwhelming the palette. It’s well balanced, yet so unique in flavour – a culinary extraordinaire as far as roast dinners go!

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